Date: 24.01.2018.

Estonian industrial group BLRT Grupp invested 44 million euros last year, and according to Prime Minister Juri Ratas, who visited the company's production facilities, the main problem for foreign investors is the shortage of qualified workers and the government is working to solve it, informs LETA/BNS.

Nord Stream 2 AG, the developer of a new pipeline to supply Russian natural gas to the EU market through the Baltic Sea, is supporting a program of telemetry studies of the Baltic ringed seal in the Gulf of Finland. Launched in summer 2017, the scientific research is being carried out by an international group of experts in agreement with Rosprirodnadzor, the Russian environmental oversight body. In Q2 – Q3 2017, telemetry GPS/GSM tags were attached to nine ringed seals in the north of the Kurgalsky peninsula and Moshchny Island, informed BC the press service of Nord Stream.

Latvian big-man Kristaps Porzingis (New York Knicks) has been selected as a reserve for this year's NBA All-Star Game, becoming the first ever Latvian to participate in the annual gathering of the world's best basketball players, the league has announced, cites LETA.

Exports growth that will be more than two times slower in 2018 than it was last year will be one of the main reasons behind slower economic development, Swedbank Lithuania's chief economist Nerijus Maciulis has said, cites LETA/BNS.

The consumption of natural gas slightly increased in Lithuania last year, while Russia's gas concern Gazprom took 54% of the market, a rise from 40% in 2016 and almost a match to the 2017 forecast of 55%, reports LETA/BNS.

EU economy’s future: slow but positive growthGrowth in all EU states will continue in 2019-20, though at a slower pace than before. The largest EU’s economies will grow at around 1,5-1,7%, mostly in Poland, Spain and Holland. The Baltic States’ growth will continue to be on the positive trend.